The Sea-Shell's Letters
by WarriorsErin
Summary: My first NaNoWriMo. First few chapters will be separated later on, but this is the place where you'll find the story itself. Prequel to Those Who Walk Amongst the Dead. It's a time of trouble. The Elementium Crystal (aka the Core) has been shattered and the Tribes are in turmoil. A wanderer happening to spot a shell, listens, and finds that they are the only one to save the Tribes.
1. The River's Secrets

Mist shimmered as the moon rose. Crystals of silver sparkled in the depths of the woven cloud. A gentle breeze tossed the river reeds into one another, a wonderful hushing sound being produced. The reflection of the sky was visible in the river, splashing gently as it slid past the bank. Fronds of willow trailed in the shallows, creating winding trails of leaves behind them. The black river shone gently with the light of the moon.

Only one thing was missing; the stars. From the mist around the willows, glowing shapes rose, and the varied frames of the cats took form. Light glimmered, trapped deep in their fur, and on a closer examination, it seemed as if the essence of the cat itself was formed from those missing stars. They padded closer, hackles on edge as they argued about something that was inaudible from this distance. Crickets fell silent at the appearance of the new creatures, only to start up once more a heartbeat later.

Finally, one of the cats exploded. "I'm telling you, Flamestone! We need to hide them better!" a pale silver and blue grey tabby snapped. Fog wreathed around her like a halo, shifting constantly to make her seem like an unreal being.

"Calm down, calm down!"

"This is not something that can be _calmed down_ , idiot!" The tabby huffed.

"I promise, Bluerush, no Clan cat will find the pair." The orange and black speckled tom was gesturing with his paws to prove his point, fur lighting up the fog like a candle easily sets flames to dry hay.

"That's not good enough!" She hissed once more at the placid tom. "What if one of the cats finds them? The pair's bare power will eliminate the Clans if their strength is used irresponsibly."

"I've told you already, Bluerush. I'll tell you again. No Clan cat will find them." Flamestone's eyes betrayed just a sliver of his non-provokable anger.

Bulrush growled at the calmer tom. "And _I'll_ tell _you_ again, that is _not_ -"

"Flamestone. Bluerush. I thought I told you not to talk about this. Flamestone-" a pause as the tom grinned triumphantly, "-has told me how well he has hidden them." Out of the mist, and imposing figure approached, her words slicing through the air like claws. She was a white cat, with black streaks marking her fur. Her pelt was slick and thick, hinting that she was a RiverClan cat.

"Heronfire." Bluerush bowed her head, nudging Flamestone to do the same.

"I understand your caution for RiverClan, Bluerush, seeing that the two hidden are both in the Clan's territory, but you must not doubt Flamestone's ability." The white furred shecat narrowed her eyes at them, before widening them to their natural size, looking satisfied.

Heronfire whipped around, her movement accurate and as smooth as a fish navigating the river. As she strode off, the two remaining StarClan cats heard her last sentences.

"Remember, don't tell anyone of this. And I hope that neither of you argue again." Heronfire threw this over her shoulder as she vanished back into the gloom of the willow. It wasn't more of a hope than it was a command.

The cats left behind glanced at one another before heading their separate ways.

{~}

 _Ten season cycles later..._

The cats of the stars were grouped in the centre of the lake. Each one, a cat who had been there all that time ago, sat on driftwood that swayed and bobbed in the weak current. A single floating golden lily marked the centre of the circle, and every other cat was placed around it. Those who had joined StarClan recently shared large pieces of bark, and others simply floated in the water itself. A gentle lapping filled the silence as they all stared at one cat, perched on her moon-white log.

Heronfire gazed around at the gathered dead. "Only Bluerush, Flamestone, Hearth, and I, know why this meeting was called for. The rest of you don't." The white and black shecat sat, and bowed her head to a cream tom, whose eyes were brighter than lightning, and flashed in the strange light of the lake.

"Long ago, before most of you had come to join us in our realm, we had an issue. From the final deaths of Firestar and Tigerstar two stones were formed. Each were neither good, nor bad, but any cat who wielded the power of these relics would affect the use of the magic. We had to hide them, knowing that the cats of the Dark Forest would soon return, looking for these pieces of those mighty souls, and use them for their own dark measures. So, we-" Hearth swung his tail at Heronfire, Flamestone and Bluerush, "- decided that they had to be either hidden, or destroyed entirely, rupturing the fabric of our current Clans.

The only way we could ensure that the Clans remained safe was to hide the stones. Flamestone, the only one of us with blood ties to the living realm, agreed to hide them where they were first found, in the territory of RiverClan. They couldn't be moved past the Clan's border lines, and so he spent weeks traveling within the territory to find the perfect spots. Once that was done, we left them and never told any cat, even if they needed the stones, of their whereabouts. And so far, this plan has worked.

Until now. Last night, we received a prophecy. We don't know who or what sent it, but it revealed to us our new deadline. Bluerush will tell you all of it." Hearth sat, his gaze not wavering from the audience's.

Bluerush breathed in deeply.

" _Two of each, sister-brother, day to night and air to earth,_

 _Find the others, the stones of souls,_

 _And reap the world of their power."_

There was no sign of the shecat's normal attitude as she gulped, then continued. "We can only assume that these _two_ will find the stones and use or destroy them, and either option will end in chaos for the living realm. We have to find a way to stop the prophecy. Before the Clans are gone."

* * *

 **Why hello, everybody! What is this? This is my first ever day of National Novel Writing Month! And because I'm me, I left my plan for the actual story at my school! So it'll be a few more days before you'll see that. But I've wanted to start something that will decide my next story after this month (to go along with My Name is Bluesage) And I've had four to five ideas that I wanted to start. This is the first 'preview' to one of those ideas. It's called** The River's Secrets **, and for some reason, I was going to write it when I first started FFN. But it wasn't fully thought out, and I didn't have a plan, so I decided not to do it. So instead, I'm posting it here, along with a few other ideas that I'll post in the next few days.**

 **At the end of these previews, you can vote using a poll that I'll hopefully have up by then or by just reviewing to this section.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading this strange AN and I'll hope to see you tomorrow! Have a great day!**


	2. CROWNED (Take Cover Beneath the Stars)

Golden light spread through the leaves of my lone den. I blinked at the sudden brightness. Yawning, I slowly padded to the entrance, taking a deep breath before stepping out into camp. I looked around, sadness stirring in my heart. All of the cats around me shone like stars. Each one, a sun in their own right, glimmering with their own light. But I, I was darker than the night itself compared to my Clanmates. A burning sensation crawled up my back, and I turned to see a piercing gaze slice through my black pelt. I lifted my own stare to meet those eyes.

My own pair began to water under the attack of that burningly bright fur. As my eyes adjusted, the light grew dimmer. _Saffronkit._ Of course it was. As the leader's only kit, she was overprotected, treated like the Sun itself, and as a result, was selfish, spoilt, and altogether a horrible cat. I raised my head and curled my lip into a sneer.

A frilly voice interrupted my pleasant hatred of Saffronkit. "Darling! Don't head out without us! A certain... _cat_... might- excuse me, I can't find the right word, ah- _assault_...you." The sentence rang out over the camp, and almost everyone in the area turned at smiled maliciously at me. I just narrowed my eyes, hunching my shoulders, even as my stomach curled at the hidden attack in that voice. Saffronkit turned back to me and smiled a triumphant grin at me, before bounding off into her father's den. I bared my fangs, this time naturally. The nearest warrior to me snarled at my expression, and was about to deal me a blow to the face when he paused, hesitating before his golden fur touched my pitch coloured pelt. I turned away.

 _Stupid, utterly stupid._ I cursed myself. I'd just reinforced their silly idea that I would attack their precious heir. But, now that I thought about it, Saffronkit's attitude might make her end up dead at my claws.

* * *

Darkkit had twisted away from the den by the time Raystar, Goldensky, and I elegantly emerged. With perfect timing, as well. A current blew the cotton clouds away from the Sun. It shimmered, hitting our gold fur and lighting it up. I called to it, letting all of that hidden energy warm my pelt and letting it glow brighter than a beacon. The clearing turned blindingly white from the light coming from my fur, and I heard cats whispering to one another.

"She's to be the next Medallion."

"Her power is the greatest ever known."

"They say that she'll be leader as soon as she's granted warrior status."

I let it all strengthen me, armour clad in light, glowing and growing with my pure power. Just as suddenly it came, the light vanished, the dark swarming the area before light shattered it once more and sent it away to the shadows where it belonged. After all, shadows were just the result after light. I glanced at the one dark spot in our haven. Darkkit hadn't moved, cloaked in the shadows his fur was made of. His hackles raised, probably sensing my piercing blue spotted golden gaze. I let myself have one more triumphant smile before following my father onto the cliff that erupted from his den entrance. My mother followed.

"Amazing show, MedallionClan!" Raystar roared. The Clan tipped their heads and roared back at him.

"As you may know, tomorrow we shall hold a ceremony. Saffronkit and the others will be granted apprenticeship."

"What about that piece of filth?" Willowtail, Azurepaw's mentor, asked, pointing with his tail at Darkkit.

Raystar didn't hesitate before responding; he never did. "He will be included in the ceremony." He mewed. "After all, excluding him would be an act of shadows, not one of the Sun." A roar as the Clan heartily agreed. My father continued. "We are MedallionClan, and our kindness shall prevail through even the darkest of shadows!"

At this, the Clan erupted. Cheers showered our leader. My parents exchanged a satisfying glance. It was so swift that I nearly didn't believe that I'd caught it, except for the fact that MedallionClan cats had perfect eyesight. I shook my head, and gazed at my father. He smiled down at me, and without any form of communication, we all leapt off the ledge. Raystar and I landed, shaking the camp under our power-filled paws. Goldensky glided down to my father's right, her wings bent upwards gently. She landed how I always imagined an angel would, skimming the ground until she placed her paws down gently. I couldn't help but stare at those wings enviously.

I looked at the place behind my shoulder-blades, where wings grew, and sighed. They were only stubs, wings that were to grow in by the time I reached eight moons. I glanced up at my father once more, who was watching me with mingled emotions on his face. He leant down to me, his golden fur glimmering slightly in the light.

"They'll come sooner than you can possibly imagine."

* * *

 **Letter 1**

* * *

 _Hello there. Welcome to my dimension. And...you're wondering why these cats have wings, and all are golden, aren't you? Well, that's what I'm for. I'm here to explain this strange new world to you. The rules of this place, I suppose, are different from yours or the next person's. In this place, light works differently. A flying Clan up high in the sky shine along with the sun, moon, and stars. You're here for them... aren't you?_

 _Well then, I'd better hurry up. MedallionClan don't have very much patience-or any at all- and they won't wait for you. The golden Clan are just that- the golden Clan. Every single cat is stained the colour of the sun. Why do I use_ stained _you say? Because this Clan is not very favoured by the Earthfurs. Earthfurs are the cats_ _outside of the Clan; cats without wings, who are chained to the earth for life. Only after death can they fly, unbound. MedallionClan considers them_ unpure _.  
Now, I'm getting ahead of myself. I shouldn't be giving you this information. But keep it in your mind, for it will be very important when you go on._

 _MedallionClan worships the Sun, as you do StarClan. They believe all the stars are spirits of those of their cats who have passed on. They also believe that once, the Sun was a glowing speck. Leaders died, and leaders rose, and each time one passed on into the afterlife, they added their strength and power to the light, giving the Sun more power, and giving it the size that it is now.  
Kits don't have wings, only stubs. They grow their wings when they're nine moons old, and gain their oskill during their ceremony. Those are the different rules from the ones you follow.  
_

 _Well, before I finish, I give you the rest of the information. This Clan works differently, but very similarly to the Clans you come from. Oh yes, I know where you're from. I am the Keeper, after all.  
Don't be surprised by the rules of these cats. That's all the permitted information you can have so far about these pages. So, goodbye for now, Clan cat, and may the Earth and Sun let you meet me again.  
_

\- Stalactite, Keeper of the Pages

* * *

 **Hello again! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to write Dripping Ice. It should come out as tomorrow's submission for NaNoWriMo. But this preview is for an idea called** CROWNED **and it's quite strange. But if you have ever seen CaptainSparklez's 'We Are The Night', that was what I was listening to non-stop the entire time I was writing.**

 **Thank you ChocoDrake for favouriting the story! It means a lot.**


	3. Dripping Ice

The forever unclouded moonlight shed its silvery light onto the blades of grass below. Shadowy trees ringed the clearing, standing tall like sentries or wizened like elderly. It was silent. The clearing was split into half. Exactly at the middle, a line of moonblooms stretched down either side, marking where the two met. One side was silvery bright, honey coated with a golden sheen, while the other was dark and dangerously beautiful. Nightshade bloomed and thorns lay hidden on that side.

A silver tabby stealthily slipped up to that glowing line, pausing for a second to scan the overgrowth and signaled with his tail for cats to come forward. Three cats, one plainly black, one with brilliant green eyes, and one with a muddy grey colour pelt, crept up behind the first cat. They then looked around. The green eyed tom called out.

"Mothblaze! We are here for the Gathering! Where are you?"

The first cat turned around and hissed. "Fire! What are you doing?" His eyes were wide with not fear, but anger.

"I'm letting her know we're here, of course."

"Don't you think I already know?" Out of the many shadows, a leopard patterned shecat appeared. Her striking face, unscarred unlikely many of the other Dark Forest cats, was stunningly beautiful. Her black ringed pale spots enhanced her glowing golden eyes, and her beige coat was spotted with white spots of varying sizes. She strode proudly up the glowing line. "You'd think that the leader of the Place of No Stars would be the best cat they had. This-" She waved her tail in the area of the four cats and sighed. "This disgusts me."

"Many things disgust you, Mothblaze." Stream sighed, his silver tabby coat ruffling. "But I hope that Star-"

Mothblaze snorted, tossing her pretty head and pointing to the left. "Not you, mouse-brain. Them."

The four new Clan founders turned to look at what she had remarked upon. There, slinking up to the moonblooms, was MoonClan, headed by Sunstar.

"How did you manage not to hear them?" Mothblaze scoffed. "They approached like a pack of growling badgers!"

Stream ignored her, keeping his gaze upon the tan tabby leader. "Greetings."

"Stream, Fire, Breeze, Shade. What a coincidence," chuckled Sunstar. "I thought that you'd never bother to see me again."

Once again, Stream spoke. "Cut the talk, Sunstar. You know why we're here."

"Do I?" The tabby clucked. "Or was this just a coincidence? We might have just stumbled upon your Gathering by accident!" He smirked at Fire, who snarled.

Stream narrowed his eyes. What game was Sunstar playing? He shook his head slightly, but the cat opposite him caught it. Shade stepped forward, Breeze quickly following.

"Oh-oh-oh! What do we have here? A precious leader's lieutenants stepping up to protect him?"

"Sunstar, you know very well that we are all equal." Breeze sighed. Sunstar smiled at the small group, with the most important cats of StarClan behind them.

"Why are you here?" The bright ginger tabby, Fire, eyed him carefully.

"Hmmm? So the almighty cats of StarClan can't read our minds?"

The new Clan founders didn't react when Sunstar suddenly lunged against the border. The moonblooms glowed even brighter, and Sunstar was thrown violently back. He cackled, landing on his feet. The founders stared stonily at him, while Mothblaze grinned.

"A good fighter! Surprising!" She laughed. She snapped her head back down, scrutinising Sunstar with every ability she was rumoured to have. "I'll look forward to ripping you apart." She slipped the tabby a dark smile.

Stream couldn't have been more grateful that the Dark Forest leader was here. "Sunstar, please leave. You know that your MoonClan is exiled from here. You were sent away."

Sunstar snapped his gaze to Stream. Terror ran through the cat as he caught the promised pain deep in the leader's dark gaze. It was if a switch had been flipped. Sarcastic, word-twisting Sunstar was gone. Here was the true monster. Stream glanced at Fire, who hadn't noticed the visible fury on the MoonClan cats' faces, and was snarling at them. Shade and Breeze exchanges a worried glance, and Breeze let his tail rise and crook to the left. The sign to be on alert.

"Sunstar, leave." Stream spoke gently, trying not to set off the trigger that held the leader so tightly. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken at all.

The tan tabby spirit stalked closer to the line of moonblooms, which glowed brighter with each step. Stream found himself backing away. Mothblaze almost imperceptibly to spring upon the leader. She was the only one who could stop Sunstar, he realised. Yet she, along with every other cat, was paralysed with fear as the tan tabby cane ever closer.

"What I find, my dear enemies, is that the easiest way to get rid of a problem-" Sunstar stared down at the bright border flowers, his face lit up with the silvery aura, deepening the madness in his eyes. "Is to rip it out. By. The. Roots." And with a scream, Sunstar dug his claws into the soil and clawed straight through the flower in front of him. It flickered and its light went out. Sunstar rose his triumphant stare to the StarClan cats, staring at him with horror. "Let the real battle begin."

* * *

 **Hi everyone! I was on a long haul flight, my laptop refused to connect to wifi. So writing was slowed down a lot. But here you go!**

 **The Unnamed Guest: Thanks!**


	4. An Apple In the Maple's Tree

The grey and silver tabby tom's blue eyes glinted in the moonlight. The darkness swathed the rest of him. I let his scent wreath around me like the river while fishing. A beckoning white smile drew me forwards, further in to the ThunderClan camp. I could sense the rest of his Clan around me, and I let my hackles prickle along my back. _He can't see me._ The words soothed my frazzled nerves. This wasn't the first night I'd spent away from my Clan, especially with a tom, but this time it felt off. An owl hooted in the darkness, and I slipped smoothly into the ThunderClan tom's side. His tail wrapped around me and I let it. I knew that I could beat him, any day. I may look like a sweet, seductive shecat, but underneath my exterior lay another cat entirely.

"We're here." Hailpelt's voice ruffled my ear fur, his breath warm against the early new leaf cold. The moonlight pooled in the centre of the clearing. On closer inspection, I saw brambles and vines weaved into the sides. This clearing was a den. A medicine cat den. My hackles raised, and brown fur spiking, I tried to back away, but the tabby tom's thick tail wrapped like a vice around my body, trapping me.

 _Calm down... calm down. Hailpelt can't hurt me. RiverClan will come and fight ThunderClan if he does._

I raised my chin higher. Hailpelt, satisfied with how far I'd come, relaxed his grip on me. I knew not to run. Then Hailpelt called out into the crisp new leaf air.

"Rainstripe!"

I jerked. Why for StarClan's sake did he cry out?! He'd just blown my cover. But to my surprise, instead of ThunderClan's warriors charging at me, a silver tom padded out of the shadows. Head low, tail scraping the musty ground, the tom looked like the definition of dejected.

"Hailpelt? Thank StarClan Cloudberry's out at the Moonstone. Would it kill you to be just the smallest bit quieter?"

Hailpelt's blue eyes twinkled. "But then what's the fun in that?"

The apparent medicine cat looked at me. His face remained calm, even when I spoke.

"What's he doing here." My voice cut ribbons out of the air with the armed words that came out of my mouth. Glowing midnight blue orbs met mine, and I held his gaze as I waited to Hailpelt's reply.

"I could just say the same thing about you." His silver voice retorted. The silver tom let a smirk gather over his darker muzzle, like storm clouds gathering.

Hailpelt swished his tail through our staring match. I leant back, satisfied.

"I brought her here for you."

I felt the slightest jolt of shock zip up my legs. What? Rainstripe's face showed the same emotion, and for once I was glad I could control my expressions.

"Excuse me?"

"No. I never agreed to this."

His voice and mine jumbled together, and Hailpelt had the grace to look the slightest bit mortified.

"Look, Applefrost,"

I hissed when he used my name, seeing Rainstripe's eyes widen just a bit.

"You never had any complaints about this, and my brother isn't exactly a medicine cat."

Rainstripe growled. "I _am_ now."

I glanced between the two, keeping my face neutral and yet intelligent. They were brothers? Of course they were. I saw the hint of an aluminium stripe cruising down Rainstripe's spine onto his right leg.

"You'll be released won't you? After all, you only broke your leg."

The am-not-maybe medicine cat shoved his right hind leg forward. "Really? Then why is this _permanent_?"

Something gathered in Hailpelt's sky blue eyes when his brother said that. Silence pressed down on me, and I stroked Hailpelt's side softly. He spoke, his voice no more than a rumble. "Applefrost. Stay with Rainstripe."

Then the tabby tom walked away. Really? I looked back at Hailpelt's so-called brother, my holly green eyes so much like my namesake's green storms.

"I'm not going to change my opinion of you."

Rainstripe's face shifted into a lighter mood, a small smirk playfully jumping onto his face.

"Finally. Somecat that I can relate to. A cat who feels like they have to be someone they aren't."

I sat back, playful mood gone. "What?" How did he get a read on me so quickly?

"I met your father when I was an apprentice. Apple-"

"Don't say it."

Rainstripe froze, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He winked at me, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I laughed. It wasn't the first time someone had recognised me.

"What?" The medicine cat complained.

"Shut up! You sound like a whiny kit!" I batted at him, and he aimed a blow at me. It connected, sending me sprawling. Something probably from his warrior days. Away from the other Clans and cats and rules, I could be myself. Not who my mother wanted me to be. Rainstripe laid his tail over my shoulder. I suddenly realised how tall he was. Taller, even, than Hailpelt, who was his brother. Taller than me.

"Follow me." He whispered into my ear. He had to bend down to even do that. I let him lead me on, into the darker side of the den. The ferns traveled down my spine, dripping their cool dew into my ears. I licked some of them, revelling in the taste. I sniffed the air, trying to find the underlying scents. Rainstripe sniffed me, and on a whim, I sniffed him too. He smelled of freshly picked herbs, and not so surprisingly, ThunderClan. Underneath it all, I detected the slightest hint of cherry.

"You smell like ThunderClan."

"You smell like fish."

"And what else?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Mouse droppings!" He mewed. I hissed, leaping after his striding from as it vanished into the black. The dirt path underneath me was well-worn and soft, crumbling underneath my paws. I let my green eyes adjust to the pitch darkness, before leaping back into the night. I burst out into the new area, almost colliding with Rainstripe, who had slipped out of the way without me noticing.

"Stupid tom." I grumbled.

"Smart-ass shecat." He winked at me before turning back to the glowing pool in front of him. The dirt had turned to unforgiving rock, a bright grey against the turquoise of the water. Above it, a window into the above world- covered in vines- let in moonlight and lit up the pool. I grinned at the warrior-turned-medicine cat, who caught it and smiled back. His shoulders drooped once more, and all humor drained once more.

"Applefrost, do you know who Mapleshade was?" He asked me, his eyes suddenly heavy with the weight that one cat has when they have to break news to another. I swallowed. I had a bad feeling about this.

"No, I do not." I let my ears flap as I tilted my head to the right. Rainstripe sighed. I straightened.

"She was the one who killed Appledusk."

* * *

 **Ah, the last preview. It's an AU set just after Mapleshade's Vengeance. The first part of The Sea-Shell's Letters should come out tomorrow or today.**

 **Remember to vote for your favourite preview in the poll that should be up by tomorrow. The one with the most votes will be the first story to be written, with the others following afterwards.**


	5. Prologue

The beach behind Forest Tribe territory gleams with midnight mist as I walk through it. The waves from the sea wash softly against the silvery sand, bright with moonlight.

It was just after the Gathering had ended, one that had sent the Tribes scrambling for an explanation. The Spirit Tribe hadn't shown up. Every cat in every Tribe knew that the Spirit Tribe, most of all, took turning up to the Gathering seriously. Even if it meant that they had to take their half-day walk to get there in time. The only explanation for their absence was that something was terribly wrong with the Elementium Crystal. And that, perhaps more than anything else, scared us.

The Elementium Crystal was the one thing that stopped us from starting a world-ending war. It was a source of peace, the very core of our balance. Within it was all the magic- or Skills, as we call them- that had ripped our world to shreds before. Deep within the Elementium Crystal lay the Spirits, ancient beings that had long since lost their form, and now hid inside the Core.

And this sunhigh, we'd all felt it. A ripple through the world, setting our instincts on fire. Everything had flashed bright silver for an instant. The feared Skills had come back. That meant only one thing. That the Elementium Crystal- the Core- had been shattered. And the things that had lurked inside the Elementium Crystal had escaped.

There had been a few cats in the other Tribes whose eyes had turned green like mine. My beautiful hazel eyes had morphed into brilliant green orbs, yet none of the others had eyes as green as mine had turned. It had happened during that ripple.

There was only one thing that scared me; the return of our Skills. I was descended from one of the most Skilled cats there ever had been. Something told me that my new green gaze was so brilliant because of my heritage. I'd never touched my Skill, but now? Now it was freed. I had no idea just how powerful it was yet.

Ottersnow- a brown and golden spotted tabby tom- was another who agreed with me. He was from the Water Tribe, and another whose eyes had turned. Flashstorm- an Air Tribe shecat- had been on border patrol when the ripple had happened. She said that she had heard wails and screeches before the hidden Spirit Tribe valley base had flashed silver, and then Flashstorm's eyes had turned, and she'd passed out, only to be rescued by one of her Clanmates. Again, she was one who was descended from a Skilled cat.

What did our new green eyes mean- and why were mine so bright?

{0.0}

* * *

{0.0}

Anast panted. He'd been running for days now. Running from his home, his life, everything he'd ever known. The cats that had been chasing him had fallen behind him ages ago, but he hadn't stopped, or let himself rest. He'd trekked through forests of trees he'd never laid eyes on before, swam through rivers, climbed valleys and even summer mountains. It was twilight now, as he slowed to a walk on a beach, far, far away from his home.

He gazed to his left- the surprisingly gentle ocean that lapped against the warm sand. Then he looked to his right. A thick green forest with the largest trees he'd ever seen spread out over large hills, eventually fading into monoliths of mountains that were covered in snow at their peaks. He could see specks dancing in the air around those jagged ridges. Birds, I guess.

Anast continued to walk, his thoughts spiralling back to his home.

 _The city had begun toppling weeks ago. There had been a strange ripple and a flash of silver just after the sun had reached its highest point. My eyes had burned in the brightness, and I had turned to see my new eyes in the reflection of a puddle. My left eye had turned a golden, and the other green. The previous amber eyes had gone, whether for good or not, I didn't know._

 _Mine were the only eyes to change. For it, the other cats ridiculed me, chasing me, calling me names, or avoiding me altogether. I was used to it. They'd always ignored me because of who my mother had been. She'd been a cat from the Tribes. She'd always say that. It was something she told me to be proud of. She said that she had been a Fire Tribe cat, yet my soul belonged to the Air Tribe, though I had never grown wings, like the cats that had apparently existed in that Tribe._

 _My black fur helped me to blend into the night, even as the gold specks glowed, letting me find prey unharmed. The other cats had never noticed when I stole their prey, or hunted in their territory. Until that flash. Then, a few days later, strange things started to happen._

 _It first started with the fleeing of all other animals. Dogs had attempted to escape from their homes, mice and rats and rabbits and raced out of the city, and within that day, there were only the cats left. Then, a fire started. It had raged throughout the whole area, even when the humans had tried to stop it. The towers that had once shone now stood burned out and broken, blackened with soot. That night, a lightning storm arrived. One particularly large bolt had struck the Obelisk- the tallest tower in the city- and it had flamed and crashed to the ground, crushing half of the population._

 _Then, if that hadn't been enough, the storm wouldn't go away, flooding everything. After the storm had cleared, greenery swept everything over. It had happened at a crazily fast rate, trees sprouting out of pavement in front of you, or grass growing until it was double a cat's size. Cats began to whisper to each other of night stalkers, creatures slinking through the dark, stealing kits away. Buildings began to vanish- the massive ones- and bats swarmed the area._

 _The other cats began to realise that I was the only one who had changed. They began to come after me, fighting, stealing my meager resources and doing small things to hurt me. But then one day, they all came after me. They chased me out of the city, and into the forest to the north, where my mother had said the Tribes lay. I kept to the eastern shore, racing my way through land until the remaining cats dropped away and I escaped._

He kicked at the beach sand, and let out a shout when his black paw connected with a massive seashell. A strange feeling overcome Anast, and he leant down to listen to its song. His golden furred left ear had flopped over it, and words began to flow out.

* * *

 **Yep. The first part of The Sea-Shell's Letters. It took ages to write, as well. But I'm really glad at how it turned out. By the way, you can now vote for your favourite preview (the first four chapters before this one) in a poll on my profile.**

 **The Unnamed Guest: Well, the previous four chapters were previews for other ideas of books, while this chapter is the first part of the actual story. So yeah, they aren't related. But every chapter after this one will. They'll be revolving around Anast and Saplingsong. :)**


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